


Tweak of the Heart

by shinealightrose



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M, Minor Painplay, Minseok is a gumiho, Smut, Steampunk, With A Twist
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-05-08
Updated: 2017-05-08
Packaged: 2018-10-29 15:52:37
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 3,818
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10857180
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/shinealightrose/pseuds/shinealightrose
Summary: Minseok may be part animal, part human, and part machine, but in all the right places he’s exactly what Lu Han needs.





	Tweak of the Heart

**Author's Note:**

> This is a loose-fitting steampunk au with some weird things about it, but it doesn't affect the pairing much.

The steamboat chugs upstream, past the black as tar water—which is filled halfway with actual tar. The riverbank on either side is devoid of nature. There’s a tree line some twenty clicks back where the tar build up has never reached, but even those glimpses of life are browning and sick. In between and beyond the trees arises a sprawling, slum cityscape, chimneys pumping night and day, sludge drains a’flowing. It’s a familiar sight for the inhabitants of The Dredge, a modest strip of civilization which once boasted a thriving, shiny society, and also a better name.

But that was centuries ago. The economy has changed. The residents have changed. Some grew extra legs, some died out. A very few—just a mere half billion—developed radioactive components, like the ability to shoot lightning bolts from their fingertips, or lay eggs.

Lu Han’s an immigrant actually. He walks upright and retains all his teeth, and he makes a modest living ferrying weary, beleaguered mutants up and down the Dredgiest River. It’s hard work, but Lu Han has a dream. Inside a lockbox only he knows the code for is where he keeps his bronze coins. He’s saving up and someday he’ll buy an airship, get off the ground, see the skies, breathe cleaner air, and hopefully get laid every single day, preferably not by an egg-layer because that shit hurts.

“‘Scuse me, ser?”

Lu Han protects his behind and turns around, brandishing a million coin smile. “Yes, good customer. How may I help you?”

They’re but half an hour from dock and another half to go.

His customer looks sweet. Small, but not short, burnished red-brown hair, rosy cheeks, all his teeth. He’s wearing a long robe and a hood, which is tied around his throat and currently hanging down his back. His neck looks absolutely delectable, definitely sweet looking.

And Lu Han distrusts _sweet._

“You are the ehhh… establishment owner?”

“I am.”

“Very good, wonderful. I was hoping you might direct me to a private chamber?”

Lu Han gulps. “Private, chamber?” For a _half hour journey!?_ What an appallingly interesting request. “I’m afraid we don’t rent private rooms on board the ferry, may I be of any other—”

The sweet-looking man lifts up a money bag. “How about your room? I can pay.”

“Oh. Hmmm.” Because this certainly changes things. “Right. Follow me. It’s just this way.”

Lu Han gives a cursory glance towards his two other crew members, pilot Junmyeon with the grimy overalls and glowing green bowler hat, and entertainer Sehun who plays the one-man-band in a hot pink uniform, his brass, bells and whistles instrument just tooting away. They look plenty fine, so Lu Han continues his journey, down a set of half stairs then down another below deck, around a long curvy hallway, then back up. He knocks twice on a doorway which opens automatically at his touch. His room is behind only several more locked doors, and his passenger follows him inside.

“Here we are. Now is there something in particular I can—OH MY WORD. For the love of flaming turkeys, WHAT IS THAT?”

Lu Han clutches his heart and gapes, jaw practically dislocating in fear and awe, because his customer has just untied his cape and let it fall to the ground. Truthfully, this isn’t the first time a passenger has undressed before him, except instead of getting to glorify in a person’s nakedness, his customer is still fully dressed and unfortunately… unfurling something like nine mechanical claws out from behind himself.

Scratch that, not claws. They’re _tails!_

Each one ratchets and jolts as the pieces rotate and rearrange. His customer smiles. Lu Han swears his teeth look sharper than they did before.

“You, you, you’re… a fox!”

And okay, now Lu Han is scared. Nine-tailed foxes are legend, even among a thousand other legends. Individually crafted and hand-engineered, their makers were regarded as gods! Gods who walked this planet as men only four hundred score and a dozen years ago.

“I am,” says his customer, as if Lu Han isn’t acting 110% alarmed. “My name is Kim Gu Minseok, of the Clan of the 32nd Assembly Line. I have a need for some… tweaking.”

Lu Han gapes a little harder even as he takes a step back. “Twea-king?” he asks, back hitting the wall of his own bedroom, which feels a little like a prison now.

The nine-tailed mechanical foxes are practically immortal, but inside all that skin they’re made of _parts_ so it stands to reason that with some _tweaking_ they might actually be so. Lu Han just doesn’t know what that means. Most of their kind don’t hang out in the public spectrum, they rarely associate with the purely biological beings. Keep in mind most of this is hearsay because Lu Han has _never_ met one before, and those travelers who shared stories about them hadn’t met one either, and even the ones who claim to have met one probably lied, because if there’s one stereotype common to the breed it’s that mechanical foxes are deadly. Their souls are missing; their livers are stunted; their heart cavity beats with a mechanical tick which echoes because they _have no hearts_ , and yet they require them and usually attain them, typically from the blood-spurting bodies of the last people they met.

Lu Han smiles. Sometimes the best defense is a good offense.

“I have good tools and gadgets. A wrench, and at least one perfectly crafted thingamajigger that I acquired from a traveler six weeks ago—”

“That won’t be necessary. You will do.”

“I will do? Oh that’s nice. I’m very happy to oblige, usually I am perfectly accommodating and OH SCREECHING DAFFODILS PLEASE DON’T EAT ME!”

He drops to a huddle on the floor with his arms above his head as Mr. Kim Gu Minseok of the Clan of the 32nd Assembly Line stalks towards him. The fox’s arms hover by his side, hands curved menacingly, metal nail tips protruding from each finger.

“Oh, my poor, dear Steamboat Captain, whoever said I wanted to _eat_ you?” He tricks.

Lu Han is too coward to look at him. He shivers and quakes, eyelids shut tight, and yes it’s a poor way to go, but it was either this or tar fever which is said to kill slowly over decades until a man’s body is so porous he oozes slime. Say goodbye to your dreams of flying an airship, Lu Han, but maybe this is the quickest, most merciful way to go.

Mechanical gears whizz and whirr louder as the fox stalks closer, first just shadowing the human in the low-stream gaslight, then crouching down. Once upon a time Lu Han had been a boy absolutely _fascinated_ with hydraulics. He wonders if the fox would let him sake one last curiosity before he dies, but… probably there’s no time.

He says a little prayer to Duffy the Dragon Slayer to whose cult Lu Han’s family has belonged since the time of his great-great-great grand uncle Lu Soo the Squinter. Then Lu Han inhales one, last, time.

The fox breathes gently across his face.

“Mr. Captain, ser? Are you still awake in there?”

“Yes? I mean, no. I mean, yes,” Lu Han squeaks. He dares to open his eyes, barely containing his urge to shout. The fox is nose to nose with him, although with the mechanical tails still spiraling behind him, he looks absolutely menacing.

Or at least, he would look menacing if he wasn’t still smiling so sweet.

What is with these terrible creatures that they can’t just look scary and be done with it! Why do they have to implore their victims first to attend to them in a private sphere? Why do they have to smile and look beguiling? Why do their eyes sparkle and their cheeks drip with charm?! Why are they … is he… looking so seductive?

“Mr. Kim?” is all Lu Han can ask, because he’s honestly bewildered.

The fox’s face, which is all very normal looking, and also damned attractive, is still inching towards Lu Han’s. In fact their lips are about to meet—never mind, they’re about to kiss! Lu Han panics but doesn’t move. Eyes forever open because who knows when his life will come to an end, he watches in slow motion as the fox completes his path and kisses him. Soft lips, warm and gently moist; to Lu Han this sends a ripple of shock spiraling down his body.

As quickly as it happened, it ends. Lu Han blinks at the fox, who proceeds to smile even more broadly.

“You can call me Minseok, you know,” says the fox with a wickedly charming gleam in his eye. “Now, if you don’t mind, I have a proposition for you.”

Lu Han babbles incoherently, but the fox, Minseok, takes him by the arm and hauls him back to his feet. He sways for a moment, but then regains control. Lu Han is a riverboat man, after all, with dreams of flying. Even in times of death, or of… propositions, he’s still got his sea legs, he’s proud to say.

“Sit on the bed there,” Minseok directs.

Lu Han does, because there’s a tone of authority that makes him do it, even if, ouch, hey, now, that’s _Lu Han’s_ bed and this is _Lu Han’s_ own room! However, wordlessly, he obeys.

“A prop-proposition?”

“Mm-hmm,” says Minseok, who is steadily stripping off his outer tunic. A flurry of mechanical gears accompany this action and each one of his nine tails bends and retracts then unfurls again until the top half of his clothing is entirely removed.

Lu Han gulps. The fox is so… solid in the chest department. It’s probably detrimental to his life expectancy or something but Lu Han has to ask.

“Are you… really, alive?”

Contrary to his expectations, Minseok laughs. Something softens in Lu Han’s mind gut, probably a shutting down of his fight-or-flight response drive in order than he’ll be an unresponsive meal.

“Depends on your definition of what it means to be alive,” says the fox, who walks towards the bed, bends down, and places his hands on either one of Lu Han’s knees. Through his trousers, Lu Han can feel his nail tips. They’re sharp, but not painful, just a reminder that oh yes, Lu Han is very nearly pinned to his own bed by a nine-tailed fox.

Minseok leads one of Lu Han’s hands to his chest, against the cavity where his heart should be.

There’s nothing beating there. Instead, as Lu Han _did_ expect, it ticks. And the most peculiar thing about that ticking is that…

“It’s so slow…” Way slower than a biological being. Inside the fox’s body is a mechanical heart on a slow, wayward death spiral, like a clock that’s lost its spring. Minseok’s entire body is like a vessel slowly adrift, a wind-up machine crawling slowly towards immovability.

Minseok hums, just a hint of vulnerability. “Yes. My heart needs a reboot. Hence, Mr. Captain man, the proposition.”

Lu Han ponders his choice of words for a moment. Then he remembers. “Tweaking? How do you… tweak your heart?”

Minseok smiles and leans closer once again, nails dipping deeper. “How do you think?”

Lu Han’s own heart starts to swell and rush, adrenaline setting in and, “Oh! Oh. Like, that.”

“Now you get it.”

It’s an interesting turn of events, one in which Lu Han might end up dead, but in the immediate future at least it seems his prospects are good. And too, he hasn’t gotten laid in hundred turns of the moon.

“I get it,” he says.

“Good,” says Minseok. “Do you accept?”

“Uhm, I think so. You said this is a proposition, like a business proposition. Isn’t there a form or something, a guarantee or a warranty?”

The fox chuckles. “You want a warranty? For what?” The hands on Lu Han’s knees slide hotly up to his thighs. Minseok licks his lips at the same time Lu Han chokes.

“Heh… heh, for my life?” He wheezes uneasily.

Minseok seems to consider him for a moment. He’s already got one knee up on the bed with the other following. Lu Han falls back on his elbows, heart pounding twice as fast now, but he can’t deny the definite hardening of that ghastly, traitorous _thing_ in his pants.

Nor can Minseok. He looks down and smirks. Then, like a predator considering its prey, his eyes pour upwards and back to Lu Han’s face. He looks almost disappointed.

“Fine. Keep your life, plus I’ll grant you one other request.” His voice deepens to a hungry growl. "As long as you give me everything else.”

Lu Han actually moans. His head drops back, back thumping hard against the bed and that’s when the fox attacks. Fingernails shred the elastic of Lu Han’s waistband, drawing them away and down. His underwear fares similarly, and at the same time Lu Han rids himself of his shirt. It may be the only piece of clothing that survives this affair. He lets out another wanton moan, and bears his neck.

Every gear in the fox’s mechanical body goes spurring into action, high-pitched levers and fast-clacking dials. He shreds his remaining clothes like they were nothing, kicking and jerking until they’re gone. The nine tails undulate against each other like a complex pattern of moving art, balancing the fox as he tips over on top of Lu Han’s now very willing body.

Minseok’s skin is so warm, heated as it is by the machine inside. But machine or not, he feels like a man with a man’s actual desires. A heavy weight stretches the limits of what Lu Han can handle. He groans and heaves upward, and the fox lifts his body a few inches, lips never dis-attaching from Lu Han’s neck.

His skin is so smooth. Lu Han reaches around, feels the warmth of the fox’s waist and draws it downward just enough to relieve some of the tension building around his cock.

Like static dancing between two objects, the first touch of the fox’s body right there has Lu Han almost crying. Minseok may be part animal, part human, and part machine, but in all the right places he’s exactly what Lu Han needs. His length is thick, and pulsing, surrounded by fur so soft the contrast is almost enough to make Lu Han come. He whines, grinding against the hardness until Minseok slots his thigh between Lu Han’s legs and begins rhythmically sliding to and fro across Lu Han’s crotch.

Lu Han gasps, “Too much! Too much!” until Minseok backs up. His biceps flex as he sits up, fingers skittering across Lu Han’s chest and the sight that’s presented to him makes Lu Han think if he dies, he’ll die happily.

Minseok sits firmly on top of his lap, naked and glorious, muscles like a sculpture, cock standing up proud, and all of that framed by his nine masterfully engineered tails. _Thank you, Duf-fy the Dra-gon Sla-yer_ , Lu Han silently chants. And that’s when Minseok touches his cock.

Lu Han gasps, breaths coming in more and more shallow. Minseok’s grip is strong, firm in hold, delicate when he pumps it. He starts slowly, drawing Lu Han’s eyes there like a magnet. Aside from the tails, Minseok’s fingernails are the only feature that signifies he’s different. He also uses them differently than Lu Han ever expected he would.

In slow motion, Lu Han watches as Minseok bends his thumb. Then, when his hand reaches the tip of Lu Han’s cock, he digs his nail in lightly.

Lu Han screams, and writhes! This combination of pain and pleasure isn’t something he’s ever experienced before. Minseok smirks, his own cock twitches. Lu Han can hear the _tick tick tick_ of his heart continuing to speed up, but before Lu Han can fully recover enough to ask him to stop Minseok is already resuming the softer strokes. Gone is the pain, only the bare memory of it, but by the dragon, if he isn’t twice as hard now and ready to get fucked.

It’s with great trepidation that he lets Minseok’s other hand feel around his balls, nails like tiny pin pricks but not causing pain. Instead, they just incite Lu Han’s desire until he’s a coiling mass of potential energy.

“Still good?” asks the fox when he bends his mouth lower, one hand firmly set around Lu Han’s cock, the other nudging his balls.

Lu Han nods frantically. His cock has started to leak, making the slide around Minseok’s fingers feel _so fucking good_. He pants, head falling slack once again as he wrinkles up his eyes and tries to will away the tears because of how amazing everything feels. That’s when he feels the fox nibbling at the end of his cock. Lu Han whimpers. Pre-cum continues to flow, dribbling out of his slit and onto Minseok’s tongue. The fox makes no further sound, but his body has become incredibly hot, his mouth a veritable den of warmth and fire. This countered with the cool air of the room whenever he removes his mouth is enough to send every one of Lu Han’s nerves jittering until his whole body shivers.

Minseok treads another nail into the slit. Lu Han screams again, but then it’s gone. And so is the heat as the fox backs up and shifts his weight. Lu Han lifts his head in time to see him walk his knees higher up the bed. He aligns his body right over Lu Han’s swollen cock head. He braces his hands on Lu Han’s chest. His head sinks back, and his body lowers, and without any visible preparation, his ass sinks slowly down.

“Ohhhh,” Lu Han sings, when he feels the smooth glide of a fully lubricated hole sitting fully on his cock. Thank whatever machine-engineering gods for how satisfyingly made is this nine-tailed fox! He needs no stretching, no time for adjustment. Just a perfectly made sexual machine that fits Lu Han’s body like glove but feels way better.

The way he twists his hips too, damn!

Sweat pours from Lu Han’s brow as he struggles to hold on. He grips Minseok’s thighs and bites his own lip. Then the fox relieves his weight, pulling up all the way to the tip. Then he bounces and drops all the way down. Lu Han gasps, but he does it again. And again. And Lu Han’s not the only one perspiring, but Minseok’s face is a mirror of his own. His eyes roll back, and his jaw falls slack. He whimpers upon downward thrust, and gasps when he cock slaps his navel.

Lu Han ruts his heels into the bed and thrusts his hips up particularly hard at the next drop. Every tail on the fox’s body suddenly _feels_ it. They tense and jitter, gears rolling upon each other then stretching out until they span almost the entire bed to ceiling area, each one like the feather of a preening peacock in those picture books of old. Only this is more beautiful.

“More, please,” pants Minseok without looking down. His throat wobbles with choked emotion, and his cock bangs wildly against his body, now completely red and hard as a rock. So Lu Han does it again, and again, mustering every reserve of his energy even though he’s about to burst. He’s never seen anything so amazing, no human, no machine, not even the most blessed-looking mutant alive can top this image right now, or this feeling.

He sits up on one elbow and with the other hand draws Minseok towards himself. The crash of their lips coincides with Minseok finally losing it. The kiss is brutal, arms coming down to tangle in Lu Han’s hair as his cock pulses and throbs and finally empties itself of thick whitish oil Lu Han wouldn’t exactly call come, but at this particular moment, who cares. Minseok, even mid machine-driven orgasm, has enough sense of mind to ground down against Lu Han’s cock. He squeezes his thighs and Lu Han’s cock gives up the chase as a shockwave of energy ripples up and down his body, cum shooting thickly into the fox, slipping out only to be pushed back in. Lu Han tenses and relaxes, only to have the fox grinding down on him more, and it’s only when Lu Han cries and pleads for him to stop that the fox tumbles off and over onto the bed.

Lu Han pants. And wheezes. With one hand he mops the tears from his eyes and the other doodles lazily with the whitish oil on his chest. His skin glows radiant from the heat of the fox. It’s only now that he’s paying attention, but his room is just so _loud!_ Minseok churns and hums like a happily serviced engine. There’s a lazy smile on his face. Each of his tails lays thrumming on the bed, relaxed but still vibrating with energy.

 _His life_. Lu Han suddenly realizes something. Minseok promises him his life, plus one more thing.

He grins.

  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  


Six months later, Lu Han stares down at the muddy stretch of the Dredgiest River. On deck is a flurry of activity. A significantly wealthier sector of Dredge mutant society pays homage to his ship these days. The passengers mill about loudly chatting and showing off their outfits. Lu Han has added at least three more deckhands, and all because it’s a little different and requires a lot more skill to fly an airship than it does a ferry.

 _The Flying Fox_ cruises at a low atmosphere, but at least Lu Han doesn’t have to worry about tar fever anymore. He’s mightily pleased with himself, he might say. His pilot Junmyeon still mans the wheel. Sehun the one-man-band is still tooting and whistling away, for better tips Lu Han might add, enough to pay for the poor guy’s medicine for airsickness due to an overly weak stomach.

As for Lu Han, sure there were some major adjustments he needed to hurdle. But life’s much better than before.

And oh, did he mention he’s got a new friend?

On the other side of the deck, tails bristling in the wind and his nose picking up every weird, icky, mucky, and delectable scent, stands Minseok. He’s coated his mechanical tails in real fur now. It gives him a less menacing appearance. It makes sex between them a whole lot easier, softer. It doesn’t scare the passengers quite as much. He’s the co-owner of _The Flying Fox_ , a name Minseok still gives Lu Han a lot of grief for, but hey, when one is contracted to be the forever sex partner for the tweaking of one’s heart, Lu Han thinks Minseok should be able to handle it. Goodness knows, they both seem to be enjoying the partnership.


End file.
